tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36284482470494211182012-02-20T13:16:24.865-08:00Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-71385406064582940532012-02-17T10:47:00.000-08:002012-02-17T10:59:24.128-08:00

I have had a pale yellow RTW tunic for ages, but have not been wearing it because it was too long. I've actually been thinking about giving it away for a while now, but didn't because I really like it. It's loose fitting, has extended shoulder 3/4 length sleeves, is made of wrinkle resistant linen, has monochromatic embroidery and understated tiny silver beading that I absolutely love. I'm

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-7086037410421482452012-02-16T17:51:00.003-08:002012-02-17T10:57:21.952-08:00

Not too long ago, I saw a pod of whales . . . well, actually, I saw two absolutely beautiful ones, swimming and playing in the ocean . . . and later that day, I saw a real volcano erupting! WOW--both on the same day! It was unbelievable!!! But, of course, I didn't get close to either. It's against the law to get close to whales in the wild, and it would be stupid to get close to an erupting

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-50208786901874941602012-02-15T12:02:00.000-08:002012-02-15T12:22:24.785-08:00

I have not sewn in ages as I have been wearing RTW and have been too busy to sew. But I can always use new clothes sewn by me, and was just thinking that I should sew something before I forget how to sew! LOL!!! So, I have a few projects on the agenda. Before anything else, I'm going to work on the one thing that remains in my fix-it pile--need to shorten a pale yellow tunic. After that, I

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-64616201771464531432012-01-14T07:43:00.000-08:002012-01-14T07:45:21.503-08:00

I love unlined jackets, primarily because I don't have to worry about a wonky lining after I've thrown them into the washer and dryer. When I sew an unlined jacket, I've been finishing the seams with my serger. It's a neat and professional looking finish. Or so I thought. I have several RTW unlined jackets in my wardrobe and have been noticing that their finishes are much more polished than

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-31244856243682657072012-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:002012-02-16T10:02:57.262-08:00

I might not have been sewing, but I've been thinking about my SWAP. Since I've only sewn the knit jacket so far, I'm not really committed to the plan, yet. I guess that's why I'm leaning towards overhauling the plan. I was looking at the new McCalls and really want to make this a part of the plan: If I include it, I'll revise the plan so there will be a common thread running through all

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-87259606706858778652011-12-19T10:12:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:12:30.726-08:00

Two of my SWAP pieces are already finished. One's previously made--my jeans. And I just finished a knit jacket from McCalls 6444 last night. I LOVE this pattern!!! No pics, yet, but my jacket looks just like this, except that it's a little more fitted and has a little more drape: The colors I chose for my SWAP are black, purple and beige, but I might change that. Not sure, yet, but I'm

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-79365690605849580522011-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:002011-12-11T11:30:18.730-08:00

I love Simplicity 4887 for hoodies! I've made it several times, but only have one of this style in my wardrobe right now. It's part of a yoga set as I made matching pants for it, too. But I digress--I really like the style of this hoodie and since it's been rainy and cold where I live, I decided to make another one. This time, I made it in a nice shade of Christmas green: The weather

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-8541950787182155202011-12-10T13:01:00.000-08:002011-12-10T13:30:07.492-08:00

I finally picked the colors for my SWAP--purple, black and beige. Sounds boring, but boring colors are the ones that play well with others. :-) I picked the fabrics from my stash, so they are set! Well, except for the last tshirt--not sure what fabric to use for that, yet. Also, I was going to make a pair of jeans, but I don't like sewing jeans, so I am using a pair that I made earlier.

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-16796174723598202512011-12-09T09:04:00.000-08:002011-12-09T09:04:17.968-08:00

Here's my SWAP board: I put this together the other day and am quite happy with it! I can see myself wearing all of those pieces and I can actually see myself making lots of versions of them! ANORAK--The anorak that I make with Burda 7691 will serve as my overcoat. It will fit over anything because of those low armholes. I used to have this in my wardrobe. Yes, USED TO. I really like the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-57270132381169964772011-12-06T12:36:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:38:02.254-08:00

I sewed McCalls 6444: It is a PERFECT alternative to the cozy! I like the cozy just fine, but to sew a cozy takes 2 yards of fabric. I made View A from McCalls 6444, which has a similar style effect, but takes much less fabric. I sewed mine with the cuffed sleeves from the Simplicity cozy pattern and the entire thing took a little less than 1 3/8 yard of 60" wide fabric. It is economical on

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-45316973058614746902011-12-04T19:45:00.000-08:002011-12-04T19:45:35.936-08:00

Just when I thought I would just be sewing a thing or two here or there, a SWAP has pulled me back in! Yes, I'm sewing an 11 piece SWAP! I haven't sewn with any of the patterns before, so it'll be F.U.N!!! :-) I'm thinking about making a black quilted hooded anorak with this simple pattern: Two knit tops with McCalls 6399: 2 shrunken jackets AND 2 pairs of trousers (altering it to have

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-35589831373983640912011-12-02T09:48:00.000-08:002011-12-02T10:57:59.307-08:00

I had plans to sew a lot over this past weekend, but only ended up sewing McCalls 5714 I used a magenta jacket weight knit and pardon my lack of modesty, but I LOVE IT!!! Because I made this 'as is' several times in the past, I knew not to make those 3/4 length sleeves! Sleeves that short = bad idea for a jacket--it leaves your forearms cold on chilly days. This time around, I sewed it with

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-36970532893638088432011-11-27T14:58:00.000-08:002011-11-27T15:04:28.739-08:00

I finished sewing 2 different style bags yesterday. I started off with OOP McCalls 5914--the red one: I made it out of a navy blue suede and a coordinating navy blue corduroy. For the lining, I used bright polka dots! I always use bright linings because it's difficult finding things in my bag when the lining is dark. The pic shows the bag with a big bow on the side, but since the bag is

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-41144799145920294452011-11-25T11:06:00.000-08:002011-11-25T11:08:39.891-08:00

I am not shopping this weekend. I need some things for my wardrobe, but I am not going to buy them. Instead, I will be sewing them. I love slouchy bags and have bought quite a few. I have a lot that are still in my wardrobe. The problem with them is that they mostly have only 1 strap. I prefer bags with 2 straps, but they are hard to find in styles that I like. I can't stand using one strap bags

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-20451499822273316662011-11-22T09:03:00.000-08:002011-11-22T09:03:19.511-08:00

Yes, I know how to sew basic fitted shirts, but I stopped sewing them because I couldn't find good fabric. I like my basic fitted shirts to be made out of stretch shirtweight fabric. Because I couldn't find good quality fabric like that in colors that I like, I looked at RTW. My absolute fave brand for fitted shirts is Banana Republic! The price is reasonable, the fit is good because they use

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-76804304789024385772011-11-21T10:37:00.000-08:002011-11-21T10:42:55.298-08:00

Since I'm not sewing very much, but still enjoy fashion, I thought I'd share some of the RTW that hangs in my closet with you, for style and detailing  inspiration. The holiday season is right around the corner and you are probably thinking about dressy dresses! So, first up is a classic, but fun dress that I've had for a lot of years. I wear it about once every other holiday season. I don't

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-36241122438037175352011-11-20T17:04:00.000-08:002011-11-20T17:45:44.858-08:00

I haven't been sewing very much lately. My interest in sewing seems to be waning as my interests in other areas take off. But that's alright as RTW seems to be getting better! I haven't, though, sworn off sewing completely--I just cut out a simple fitted sheath dress and another fringe jacket out of some white jacquard. I will probably sew them later this week. What I have been spending a lot

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-81987229465535960912011-11-02T17:26:00.000-07:002011-11-02T17:26:01.880-07:00

I did a lot of sewing! First, Vogue 8379: I used to have a gazillion of them, but got rid of most when I got tired of wrap style dresses. I now have exactly 3 in my wardrobe. When I sewed them, I didn't want to have to deal with gaping pull through openings on the side, so I sewed all of them with an inner tie and no pull through hole. I didn't really like the inner tie, so over the weekend,

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-90141235142374710712011-10-30T10:36:00.000-07:002011-10-30T12:02:54.909-07:00

My first assignment for the campaign is due on the 15th, so I decided that before cutting back on sewing, I'd devote one last weekend totally to sewing! I just did a major cleaning out of my closet again last night. I guess I must have been addicted to sweets as when I cut them out, 10 pounds melted away without my even knowing it. I was never heavy to begin with, but I did have a chubby tummy.

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-10757238465932924212011-10-28T11:18:00.000-07:002011-10-28T11:22:05.448-07:00

I finished the final for the St. John top with the inset that I wrote about here. Here it is: I lengthened the inset and also made the top longer. That's all it took to do the trick! It is perfect!!! On another note, I just signed up to help with the campaign of a Democratic candidate that I am very excited about and whom I support a gazillion percent! I've already received my first assignment

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-46779316339881383542011-10-27T18:29:00.000-07:002011-10-27T18:44:33.940-07:00

I am not a beader, but I had a lot of beads around still in their original packaging. I was going to donate them, when I got a brilliant idea! Beautiful vibrant colors always inspire me! So I decided to put them all in a jar to keep at my desk for inspiration. The question was . . . do I layer them in? Or do I mix them up? Here's what I did: Layering the beads would have looked too

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-75900178722772818342011-10-26T08:24:00.000-07:002011-10-26T08:36:32.419-07:00

I have had McCalls 5271 in my wardrobe since it was first issued. All that time and I only got around to making it now! I used a knit that is in a beautiful shade of red! Here's the set with both tunic and tank: Because you can't see it in the pic above, here's the tank: What is great about this set is that when I want to, I can switch out the matching tank for a contrasting tank. I

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-54624842780697153992011-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:002011-10-25T22:15:30.277-07:00

I went snoop shopping a while back and really liked a top that I saw in the window of the St. John's Boutique: I liked it so much that I decided to make one for myself. I started with vintage 70s Simplicity 9607: I replaced the collar inset with a rectangle. The inset needed to be a little longer, so I lengthened it by 2 inches. The inset still doesn't look as long as the one on the St.

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-12582153010543349382011-10-21T09:38:00.000-07:002011-10-21T09:51:00.427-07:00

I guess there are always going to be buttheads around. I am saying this because while at the grocery store yesterday, I heard a butthead screaming swear words. I looked around, but didn't see who was screaming. At first, I shrugged it off  because I thought it might be someone with Tourettes. I was about to walk away when I saw who it was. He stepped out of the side aisle and into the main

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-65864759445572349472011-10-20T19:07:00.000-07:002011-10-20T19:09:34.067-07:00

I made the Vogue 2989 skirt a while ago: Here's the line drawing: I made the skirt twice and I love it! What I really like about this style is the unique pleating. It is soo cute. It is one of my fave skirt styles! Here's my plaid version: The skirt is the only piece from this pattern that I liked. I didn't like the neckline of the top/dress and would not have sewn it in a gazillion

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-61668951972315908352011-10-19T15:49:00.000-07:002011-10-19T15:52:27.602-07:00

St. Jude is the Catholic Saint of the impossible. When you are in dire straits and ask him to help you, he will intercede on your behalf. I completely believe in the power of his intercession. I'll share a true story about St. Jude with you later. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about St. Jude, check out this site: http://shrineofstjude.claretians.org/site/PageServer?pagename=

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-43813279726892200732011-10-17T17:22:00.000-07:002011-10-17T17:25:32.175-07:00

I have had my Guess bucket bag for ages! The straps are super long, so whenever I used it, I always tied the strap in a knot at the shoulder: I really like this bag, but I hardly used it because a knotted strap is not my style. I didn't want to hang on to a bag that I was hesitant about using, so a few months ago, I gave myself an ultimatum. Fix it in 6 months or get rid of it. Well, that did

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-80863366670315146952011-10-10T15:51:00.000-07:002011-10-10T16:11:32.440-07:00

A few weeks ago, I sewed a pair of black pinstripe high waisted flare legged pants using Simplicity 8053, a vintage junior pattern--I LOVE this pattern! I love the fit of vintage junior patterns! They are my fave pants right now! I added length at the hem and also made the fat thigh adjustment. I don't think I have fat thighs, but it's a standard adjustment for me. Most people with the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-50563690022589588342011-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:002011-10-06T17:20:18.227-07:00

I can't believe it! I got the flu before I had a chance to get the flu shot!!! I'm still recovering. Ivar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-xxxxxx-x"); pageTracker._

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-89684008313195461042011-10-05T17:41:00.000-07:002011-10-05T17:41:49.186-07:00

Without Steve Jobs, who knows where our world would be today. He was an extraordinary genius who shared his genius with us. He made our world a much better place because he was here. Thank you Steve Jobs. Gone much too soon . . . .

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-6741250864539473192011-09-28T18:07:00.000-07:002011-09-28T18:21:02.841-07:00

For the past year, I have been tossing pants like hotcakes! I just got rid of 3 pairs with leg silhouettes that I don't want to wear anymore. One thing about pants is that to change the leg silhouette, you have to do more work to accomplish that than sewing another pair from scratch. And while ALL of that work MIGHT result in a good silhouette, it might mess up the fit of the rest of the pants

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-36826299183476732172011-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-26T18:12:03.087-07:00

As I have been saying, I wanted a pair of wide legged pants. I was going to use OOP Simplicity 2655 to make them. When it came time to actually cut it out, the pockets changed my mind. I didn't want the bulk of pockets. I still did make wide legged pants, but I used Butterick 3528, a vintage pattern from the 70s--waistband, faux fly front that I added, and no pockets. Here are my pants: I

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-58658417056877350072011-09-25T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-25T09:00:06.279-07:00

I did more Autumn cleaning and organizing! This time, I cleaned out a lot of my vintage knick knacks! I haven't been using them and had them neatly stored in one of the closets. I don't like decorating with vintage knick knacks anymore. That style of decorating just looks tired and old to me right now, so I let the knick knacks go. I gave away 3 huge bags full of knick knacks, wall art, little

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-891213609026970662011-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-24T09:00:01.987-07:00

I pulled a washed and dried black wool from my stash to make this Cynthia Steffe Vogue 1151 dress: The wool started off as a regular piece of wool, but after taking it through the wash and dry cycle, it turned into wool with stretch in it. I believe it's called boiled wool. It is perfect for the Vogue 1151 dress. I don't wear micro minis, so, of course, I lengthened this LBD to 1-2 inches

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-55983528572861441472011-09-23T17:57:00.000-07:002011-09-23T17:57:29.112-07:00

I made another super easy wrap top with OOP New Look 6149. I used a black knit from my stash. This is a replacement for the original, which I made quite a while ago. I recently got rid of the original because I wore it out. Here's my new one: I gave up wearing wrap tops as 'wrap tops' a while back. No matter how I adjusted the surplice front, it always opened immodestly. The only time a

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-79278805766879669682011-09-21T16:35:00.000-07:002011-09-21T16:39:41.777-07:00

I went snoop shopping recently. I wasn't in a buying mood, but I did have my camera with me and took lots of pics! I stopped by Nordstroms, Neiman's, WHBM, Ann Taylor, and Macys. The pics are all mixed up as I didn't have time to separate them. Ok, what's Blogger doing? I thought they removed the click for bigger pic function, but apparently, they put it back. I uploaded the pics as large pics,

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-719003662308158922011-09-19T17:58:00.000-07:002011-09-19T18:17:00.003-07:00

I have been busily organizing my closet, but I am not done, yet. My tops section went from this mess: to this: Now THAT makes me happy! Not only because I like looking at how ordered it is, but because the organization makes it SUPER easy to work with! An organized closet makes it really easy to throw together an outfit! I just pick a top in the color that I want to wear, take it over to

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-35957258784665756552011-09-16T17:08:00.000-07:002011-09-16T17:08:38.250-07:00

A while back, I sewed the Simplicity 4182 empire jacket with the collar: About a week or two after finishing it, I realized that the collar got in the way of the ruffles on tops that I wanted to pair it with. I needed to remove the collar, so I tossed it in the re-do pile. All these months later, I finally got around to it! As is usually the case with re-do projects, I zipped through it. I

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-35531599164102767672011-09-15T18:57:00.000-07:002011-09-15T18:58:59.494-07:00

A while back, I made some tops and toppers specifically for walking my little pooch. Well, guess what? I wasn't wearing them, so I gave them away. What I did find myself wearing over and over again is this inexpensive Nike top! I love the pale blue color, not to mention that great kangaroo pocket in the front! It's no wonder that I am always reaching for that top to walk my little pooch in! I

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-87805229061354515232011-09-14T22:12:00.000-07:002011-09-14T22:24:16.854-07:00

I am trying to complete the basics section of my wardrobe. To that end, I sewed several of Style 2286, a basic that I sew every other season: I still have 2 from Spring--aqua and lavendar. Over the weekend, I made 3 in my Autumn colors of wine, black, and Autumn green. I also made one in red, a year round color for me. I also made the New Look 6149 wrap top, another basic for me:

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-4875054936116636032011-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-08T09:00:06.035-07:00

I sewed 4 basic sleeveless ruffled tops with Simplicity 2422: It has a ruffled neckline, but I consider this a basic. I made 2 in white: I also made one in ivory--I doubled the ruffle for this one: And lastly, I made one out of a black and white pindot: I made a few changes--Instead of a loop and button back neck closure, I changed it to a back zip. I also gave all of the tops cut

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-9385537320381969912011-09-07T17:13:00.000-07:002011-09-07T17:13:19.855-07:00

I sewed the tunic with the shaped hemline from McCalls' Stitch and Save 6380: I love the shaped hemline and have been wanting a tunic like this for a while. I didn't see any in RTW, so I pulled fabric from my stash, got the McCalls Stitch and Sew pattern, and made my own. This was easy to sew. It  only took around a couple of hours! I'm petite so I shortened it. I also eliminated the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-74780485267684033252011-09-06T21:41:00.000-07:002011-09-07T17:05:29.638-07:00

Last weekend, I made 2 more P&P jeans jackets. Earlier this month, I made 2--one made out of a black denim and the other made out of a coral twill. I also have one in a floral embossed blue denim coming down the freeway. Here's the pattern: On Saturday, I made a white one out of corduroy: I zipped through it in an hour and a half. I redesigned the front neckline and changed it so that

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-42679145379749533582011-08-26T19:25:00.000-07:002011-08-26T19:49:52.357-07:00

Before anything else, I just want to say that I hope everyone on the East Coast stays out of harm's way when Irene passes by. May God protect and be with you all! As for sewing, this past week, I didn't do much sewing, at all. All I did was to shorten a Charlotte Russe RTW tunic that I've had for a very long time. If you are not familiar with Charlotte Russe, check them out for inspiration. What

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-75645149558787118952011-08-21T18:27:00.000-07:002011-08-21T18:57:46.377-07:00

Everyone has their fave necklace types. My faves vary according to what I'm wearing. For jeans outfits, I prefer long necklaces, usually 30 inches or the really long ones that are long enough to knot.. Right now, I definitely prefer plain beaded styles to artsy ones. Because I like plain necklaces, I often make my own. OMG! If you make your own, you will save a bundle!!! You can find beads at

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-73997592694098567722011-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-20T17:12:30.323-07:00

Right now, I carry my netbook around in a tote. My tote isn't too heavy or bulky with the netbook in it.It works out just fine. But I have been thinking that I should get a computer bag for my netbook. I didn't want to spend a lot on it, so I decided to check out Goodwill. Luckily, I found a very sleek one made by Naturalizer for only $5.59. Of course, I scooped it up. I thought I had the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-91413983025003735542011-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-19T09:00:07.617-07:00

When I buy RTW jeans, the problem that I usually run into is that the waist is almost always too big. The hips might fit perfectly, and so could the legs, but the big waist will cause the jeans to slip down. When I make my own jeans, I don't have that problem because I make them to fit me perfectly. But who wants to sew all of their own jeans. It's a very time consuming process, and even after

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-38986522704756404482011-08-18T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-18T09:00:00.695-07:00

What can I say? I love McCalls 5860! I love it so much that right on the heels of the first one that I made, I sewed another one. See my original post here for info about how I adjusted the pattern. For my latest, I used a solid coral twill that has been in my stash for a couple of years. I topstitched with a peach colored heavy duty button thread. It took the longest time for me to decide

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-83357103243547003912011-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-17T09:00:00.066-07:00

I sewed a jacket from McCalls 5245: I sewed one a few weeks ago, but tossed it because the print was too wild and the colors were too bright for my taste. When I wore that one, I felt like a walking neon sign. I was out of my comfort zone in it. Waay out of it! I felt very self conscious the whole time I was in it. I learned from that and this time, I was firmly back in my comfort zone.

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-71513079937372883752011-08-16T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-16T09:00:00.514-07:00

I made a pair of jeans a couple of years ago. The fit was and is quite good, but I made them too short--hellooooo high waters! Because the fit was good, I hung on to it.  The plan was to lengthen it when I had time. Well, here it is years later, and I finally had time! :-) Voila . . . the re-do: I cut a strip of denim that was the same weight as the weight of the jeans' denim, then I undid

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-13593115929804433102011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-15T09:00:07.665-07:00

I got the McCalls 5860 pattern when it first came out because I wanted a modern cut jeans jacket--look at how cool the style is! After I had it in hand and looked at it closely, I didn't like what I saw. What I originally didn't like about the style is that the princess seams were interrupted by the pockets. That remnant of a princess seam popping out of nowhere at the top of the pocket

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-21581896154405860172011-08-14T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-14T09:00:01.906-07:00

I finished another empire cardi from McCalls 5714. I sewed the single breasted style with the wing collar. Last month, I made a yellow one, and I love it so much that I just had to make another one! Here's my white one: I sewed it as is. I skipped the buttons because the style is very slouchy and I will only be wearing it open. Here it is as part of an outfit: Make this day a good one!

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-50101142603775475102011-08-13T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-13T09:00:04.869-07:00

I made exercise shorts with OOP Junior pattern McCalls 3645. Exercise shorts are one of the easiest things to sew: Here they are, one red and one gray. I adjusted the shorts for big thighs. I don't think I have big thighs, but I always make that adjustment so I don't end up with that dreaded camel toe on shorts or pants . . . UGH! The shorts hang from right around the navel and are

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-50354972659544690262011-08-12T17:34:00.000-07:002011-08-12T17:57:40.440-07:00

I made another Simplicity 4638 fringed jacket: I sewed it with facings instead of a lining. I used the center front piece as the front facing and drafted the back facing. I made my usual petite adjustments, but that's all I did. I also took a shortcut when I cut the fringe. It's supposed to be cut in 3 very loong strips, but I folded the piece down to 4", marked the width of the strips, then

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-82381986833769268482011-08-08T12:43:00.000-07:002011-08-08T12:50:25.151-07:00

As I mentioned earlier, I am working on an active wear mini. Originally, I planned to make this:: Ivar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-xxxxxx-x"); pageTracker._

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-88700262491655017662011-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:002011-08-02T09:00:08.283-07:00

Here's what's up at Macy's! There are a LOT of pics--give them time to load, You will not be disappointed as Macys has a lot of really cute styles right now (click for larger image): Whew! That was a LOT!!! Make this day a good one! Em var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-53259098674160909852011-08-01T09:00:00.001-07:002011-08-01T09:00:11.611-07:00

For exercise, I walk, swim and do cardio. My swimsuits are always RTW and I'm set in that category. For walking, I usually wear shorts or denim pants and a top, Grossly inadequate! For cardio, I usually wear old raggedy shorts and a top. Again, grossly inadequate! I want active wear for those activities, so I am going to make the pieces in this little capsule: Ivar gaJsHost = (("https:" =

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-47001963437319913392011-07-31T09:02:00.000-07:002011-07-31T09:02:00.838-07:00

Here are some of the shop windows at the mall near me: A skateboard bench for resting at the mall: More Mall windows: That's it! Make this day a good one! Em More Window Shopping Inspiration I went window shopping again! Banana Republic window A skateboard bench: More Mall windows: Neiman's: More mall window dressing: And finally, Macy's: var gaJsHost

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-24438129761012697522011-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-30T09:00:00.640-07:00

I did some snoop shopping at Neiman's last weekend. I like separates, so that's what I took pics of. If you like separates, too, and are not near a Neiman's, check out the pics for inspiration (click for larger images): Make this day a good one! Em var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-35705372442170171542011-07-29T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-29T14:37:54.443-07:00

I'm just rolling along and sewed another quick and easy unlined jacket. This time, I made the unbuttoned jacket from McCalls 5425. I used a super bright stash fabric because this was supposed to only be a muslin. HOWEVER, after it was finished, I decided that I wanted to wear it at least once. The jacket goes perfectly with a pair of white denim pants that I made last year and the coral

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-2619973031007599472011-07-28T10:42:00.000-07:002011-07-28T10:42:01.018-07:00

Last weekend, I went window shopping at the Mall. Nordstroms had some cute things, so I took pics of some of the clothes that I want in my wardrobe. If you need inspiration, check these out: I want all of Nordstroms as my walk-in closet!!! :-) Make this day a good one! Em RTW inspiration from Macys Last weekend, I went window shopping at the Mall. Nordstroms had some

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-5405842237128812742011-07-27T10:10:00.000-07:002011-07-27T10:10:00.841-07:00

The price of gold is sky high right now. Unless you want to pay sky high prices that are likely to go down in the future, you shouldn't be buying any real gold jewelry right now.I'm certainly not buying, but I do know some people who are, so I thought I'd share this info. If you go shopping for gold jewelry, make sure you take a strong magnet with you. Why, you ask? So you can test the gold

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-68909408285547157172011-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:002011-07-26T18:29:55.569-07:00

I was at the grocery store earlier this week and while waiting for the produce clerk to cut a quarter of a watermelon for me, I looked around at what they had and saw some miniature pineapples. It piqued my intertest because this is my fave fruit juice: It contains no added sugar: The pineapples were soo cute that I went to take a closer look. They were on sale for 39 cents a pound. At that

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-69003203673213312642011-07-25T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-25T21:38:27.224-07:00

It's been years since fringed jackets came into style, and I finally made one! Talk about being late to the party! I made the jacket from OOP Simplicity 4638: I used an orange and pink diamond printed twill that was leftover from a dress and top I made earlier this year. I've had this fabric in my stash since forever and am soo glad that it's finally all used up! Here's my jacket--I guess

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-23023021489512363212011-07-24T10:34:00.000-07:002011-07-24T14:09:30.698-07:00

I had some stash fabric in a beautiful shade of coral. It's been in my stash forever, and since coral is in this Summer, I wanted to use it. I guess I am a creature of habit when it comes to sewing because my first inclination was to use it to make a top that I've already made . . . 5 times. All 5 of that one style are hanging in my closet right now. The pull to make another one was strong. So

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-4009114312887240972011-07-23T09:43:00.000-07:002011-07-23T10:29:35.867-07:00

Because it's soo hot right now, I wanted an unlined Summer jacket. After looking through my stash, I decided on Butterick 5331, a jacket with shoulder princess seams and a ruffled shawl collar: The pattern is OOP, but if you have it in your stash, definitely don't hesitate if you like this style. It's cute and is very well drafted. All of the pieces fit together perfectly. I made my usual

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-12269876474289145592011-07-22T10:31:00.000-07:002011-07-22T10:31:00.930-07:00

This is the Westwood original: Here's a pic of my top: And here's the pattern info for my inspired top: I made this top using the bodice of a TNT wide square neck dress pattern. I rotated the front waist darts and front side darts to the neckline to make the cowl, extended the front shoulder section so they'd be short straps, removed the back shoulder section to accommodate the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-47939656633107804492011-07-21T09:25:00.000-07:002011-07-21T09:48:38.322-07:00

Of my July sewing projects so far, my piece de resistance is a Vivienne Westwood inspired top. I made a solid gray one last year and loved it. This time around, I made a plaid one!  Here is the Westwood original: I wanted to make an exact knockoff this time, but I used fabric from my stash and didn't have enough yardage. I ended up making the top with a standard gathered peplum. I used the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-24006894472786697812011-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:002011-07-20T11:11:21.481-07:00

I made another version of TNT Simplicity 4315. I swear! It is my fave skirt style! I love the bow in the front--it is just the cutest thing! Here's the pattern: And here is the skirt: I used a cotton blend jacquard. I really love skirts made out of landscape prints in classic colors like this. I found the fabric several years ago in the remnant section of an indy brick and mortar fabric

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-71458373505242545452011-07-19T10:07:00.000-07:002011-07-20T11:07:20.318-07:00

I made 2 peasant tops earlier this month. I'd been wanting a peasant top for ages and when I finally decided to actually sew one, I ended up sewing two that look very different from each other. I made a classic ivory long sleeved version with crinkly fabric. The sleeves are so graceful and billowy that I could just scream! They are super cool! And the other is a downtime short sleeved turquoise

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-69215269191172860612011-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:002011-07-18T11:56:00.371-07:00

Hellooooooo!!!! I'm baaaack!!! I said I was going to resume blogging in September with a completely redesigned blog, but I'm back early. Needing time to redesign wasn't the real reason I stopped. The real reason I stopped was because I was and am being stalked. I didn't want to say the truth because I didn't want to acknowledge it or give it power. I was very upset and deathly afraid of what

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-9476502102084877622011-06-24T17:17:00.000-07:002011-06-24T18:22:22.045-07:00

Hi Ladies! We are currently in a redesign mode. Be back in September! Until then, Enjoy the Summer!!! Bvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-xxxxxx-x"); pageTracker._

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-37665972173666876482011-06-16T10:12:00.000-07:002011-07-26T18:27:49.499-07:00

A few months back on the Dr. Oz show, he shared an invaluable snacking tip!!! From that tip, I learned how to set things up in the kitchen so there would be less snacking on chips, cookies and ice cream, and more snacking on fruits. It is too valuable to keep to myself, so I'm passing it on. It is soo simple that you will probably wonder why you didn't do this earlier. When you're at the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-57798659544337941972011-02-06T22:08:00.000-08:002011-07-26T18:25:53.979-07:00

I know this is random, but some people think it's really had to cut an avocado, so I had to share the knowledge.  :-) First, cut it in half and cleanly remove the seed.  Then score it like this--be sure to cut from the top all the way down to the skin of the fruit, but don't cut through the skin: Ivar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-47187087856101128222010-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:002011-10-27T18:17:18.956-07:00

Working on making my desk a nicer place to sit down and do things has been soo rewarding. I love this desk.  I've had it for years and refuse to replace it even if it is getting old.  It's actually a student sized desk, but it's a little larger than usual.  I sew, but let my desk turn into an unsightly mish mash of desk stuff.  No excuses--I just didn't think to make a nice set of  accessories

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-9687805370776612252010-10-07T11:19:00.000-07:002011-08-14T14:49:53.344-07:00

Sometimes you think you got it right the first time, but you didn't!  When that happens to me, I simply do it over! I have used the same coupon holder for what seems like forever.  It actually came with the 2 tiered catch all for my desk that I recovered earlier.  The pic is below and that yucky print is what was originally on the catch all.  Eeeuww! I'm not a pink person, but I used this

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-67978990890140468242010-10-04T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-14T14:51:18.237-07:00

On Sunday, I intended to sew all day and thought I was going to be able to finish 3 fitted shirts by the end of the day.  But I got sidetracked and ended up spending only a couple of hours on sewing projects.    Even if I didn't spend the entire day sewing, I cut and pinned all of the shirts.  When that was finished, I measured the leftover fabric and only had around 1/4 yard of the 6 yards

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628448247049421118.post-83347191687879363442010-09-06T18:36:00.000-07:002011-08-14T15:02:07.097-07:00

I finished my empire jeweled top. I morphed the empire bodice from Butterick 5353 with the fitted bottom from OOP McCalls 8190, a Laundry by Shelli Segal dress pattern. I embellished the round yoke with clear jewel stones shaped like squares. It turned out exactly as I pictured it in my head--I love this! Here it is with the 50 tuck top that I also made: About the patterns--the

Nothing but Blue Skiesnoreply@blogger.com0